Dallas Mavericks power forward Kristaps Porzingis says he was tempted to return at the end of last season so he could play with Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Porzingis missed all of last season recovering from his ACL tear. The new Mavs star is happy he was able to play against Nowitzki in practices and figures to keep in touch with Dirk so he can get pointers on how to become the next franchise player in Dallas.
Kristaps Porzingis on whether he was tempted to play one game with Dirk Nowitzki last season: "I was super-tempted to play in the last 10, 15 games. But I’m glad I had a chance to play against him. He was one of my idols growing up. To have that experience was great."
— Eddie Sefko (@ESefko) September 30, 2019
The last time we saw Kristaps Porzingis play, he was averaging 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks with the New York Knicks while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. The new Mavs All-Star has career averages of 17.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
The Mavs gave Porzingis a five-year, $158.3 million deal this summer. For Dallas to make the postseason in 2019-20, it will need Porzingis and point-forward Luka Doncic to play at an All-Star level every night.
Playing with Doncic will help KP have a lengthy career in Dallas. Doncic averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 32.7 percent from beyond the arc and 71.3 percent from the free-throw line as a rookie.
Luka figures to make the game easier for Porzingis.
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